Firm Advises IonQ on Agreement to Acquire Lightsynq Technologies

Client Highlights

May 8, 2025

On May 7, 2025, IonQ, a leading commercial quantum computing and networking company, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lightsynq Technologies Inc., a Boston-based start-up founded by former Harvard University quantum memory experts. Lightsynq’s team and IP are expected to significantly accelerate both IonQ’s quantum networking and quantum computing roadmaps. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is advising IonQ on the transaction.

Lightsynq was founded by former Harvard quantum networking experts and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Center for Quantum Networking leaders Dr. Mihir Bhaskar (CEO), Dr. Bart Machielse (CTO), and Dr. David Levonian (CPO) with the goal of building the leading photonic interconnect platform to enable high-fidelity, multi-nodal qubit operations. Lightsynq’s approach not only supports modular scalability, but also advances fault-tolerance for creating the world’s most powerful interconnected quantum systems. Lightsynq’s unique architecture provides a powerful platform to support IonQ’s quantum computers and advance the company’s quantum networking roadmap.

IonQ will also acquire ownership of Lightsynq’s portfolio of over 20 technology patents and patent applications related to quantum memory, further strengthening IonQ’s growing intellectual property position.

The Wilson Sonsini team advising IonQ on the acquisition includes:

M&A
Rich Mullen
Brian Chan
Hallee Moore
Elia Perez Villamarin
Austin Wolfe
Melis Kilic
Matt Katona